Guild Wars 2 combat mechanics revealed

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Development of the sequel to the critically acclaimed Guild Wars MMORPG is underway, with the release date rumoured to be around the end of next year.

Like the first effort, the Player versus Player (PvP) focused massively multiplayer game will be free to play, and retains its anti-grind philosophy. There’ll be no killing six hundred rats to level up here.

NCsoft is promising much improved graphics, a fully persistent online world, and a PvP balancing system that means those with uber-equipment won’t gain an advantage in organised PvP areas. All characters will be on a level playing field with the same stuff in these instances.

The developer has just revealed some juicy details on the combat system, too.

It seems that environmental factors will play a strong part in Guild Wars 2 melees. An elementalist character can pick up a boulder, for example, and turn it into a meteor storm to rain down on an opponent.

Characters will be able to team up to utilise their abilities, so if a magic user creates a wall of fire, an archer can shoot through it, creating flaming arrows for extra damage.

Combat takes into account positional factors, so striking from the side or behind will do more damage.

A skill system which is “easy to learn but hard to master” is also promised, with a high level of character customisation possible.

NCsoft explained: “You get your base skills from the weapons you wield and then customise your skill-set with racial skills, healing skills, profession skills, and even a devastating elite skill.”

Taking place in the future, 250 years on from the original Guild Wars, the sequel contains the likes of industrial war machines and guns.

Guns… now what MMORPG has done that before? The name escapes us, World of, something or other.

Mind you, we’re always up for a bit of a steampunk type theme in our role-players. And because Guild Wars 2 is going to be free to play, we’re sure this role-player won’t be short on initial player population.